


Curse of The Pharaoh's Kiss

by PrincipalCellist



Series: Curse of The Pharaoh's Kiss [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: (I'm not a history buff but I'm doing my best), (hint: it doesn't work), Action/Adventure, Ancient Egypt, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bisexual Yugi, Gay Yami/Atem, Gore, Guess who's back? Back again? CoaPK is back - tell a friend, Hurt/Comfort, I'll add more tags as we go along, M/M, Mystery, Past Lives, Puzzleshipping, Romance, Slow Burn, Sorry Not Sorry, There is literally a war so please don't say I didn't warn you, This story is so old good God I started it back in 2012, Violence, Yugi is a stubborn mule in this story and tries to apply logic to magic, Yugi/Anzu dated before but are no longer romantically involved, i like my slow burns to be borderline PAINFUL, like super slow - they don't kiss until well into the story, not like an obscene amount but it is there, oh and Pegasus is in it too, slow start but I promise it gets better, slowly but surely moving my stories from FF.net to here, you better believe Yugi's name is "Heba". Bringing that gem back.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-07-14 04:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16033454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincipalCellist/pseuds/PrincipalCellist
Summary: Fascinated by mysteries and puzzles, driven by a reckless sense of adventure, Yugi finds himself pulled into a land and life he supposedly once knew. He's in a race against time as tragedy prepares to strike the land of Egypt. Can you change the past, or is it set in stone? You can't make magic follow the Rules of Science, but that won't stop him from trying.This story has been sitting unfinished on my FanFiction for over two years now. It's time to change that, don't you think?





	1. It's a Mystery

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read this story before on FanFiction, congratulations: you're going to need to read it again. Because I changed/fixed things. Also, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get my shit together.
> 
> If you're reading this story for the first time, welcome! I hope you stay and enjoy.
> 
> Some backstory: in 2012, a friend of mine started a story about a boy who found a shiny artifact and developed a crush on the spirit trapped inside it. Her name was Alane (known as YamiYugiCandy over on FanFiction.) Long story short, Alane decided she didn't want to write anymore (to the shock of many, because she was good at it) and abandoned her account. But so many people were invested in her story, she decided to give me the rights to it. She gave me her outline of the plot and her ideas and said, "Okay, have fun," and I did. But then life stuff happened and after a final update in 2016, the story got stuck in purgatory. _For two and a half years._ (Alane and I fell apart shortly after her quitting, so I wasn't even able to bounce ideas on her or anything. I don't even know where in the world she is now. I saw her in a strange stroke of fate once in 2013, but she was different and I was different so we didn't reconnect.) Anyway, now here we are: me writing, you reading, me actually finishing this... Good times.
> 
> TL;DR - Cassie (me) is a butt who doesn't know how to update regularly and is finally finishing her 6-year long story. Enjoy.

The walls were chipped and sandy, slightly damp to the touch from the bit of humidity that was still lingering inside of the the tomb. Hieroglyphs sporadically covered the surface, stretching high to the ceiling. Some were helpful, others were heavy warnings carved in hopes of deterring anyone with ill will. Some were simply tellings of Gods and devout men. The two adventurers carefully made their way down through the narrow hall, doing their best not to disturb much of the area, the beams of their flashlights illuminating the dark. The shorter of the two aimed his light at the wall, making the thin layer of condensation glisten like gems were somehow embedded into them.

He ran his fingers across a few of the carvings, deciphering them carefully before turning to his friend.  
"It basically says not to go any further or else we'll die."

"Gee, that's...comforting. Thanks."

"Well, you know," he shrugged, seeming unbothered by the markings. "It's the same as the other warnings. 'Stop or else' and 'you'll face danger greater than you're wildest fears' and all that - especially if our intent is malicious." He scanned the last bit again and nodded, seeming satisfied with his translation. "...'all that awaits for thieves is a home within the shadows.' Also something about the Judge's Eye, but the rest is chipped away."

"Vandalism?"

"Nah, probably just erosion."

"Either way, it doesn't seem friendly." His friend glanced around. He had tried to hide his distress before, but know he was fine with letting his fear show. "Maybe we should just head back, Yugi. We've come further than anyone else already - that's an accomplishment."

 _"What?_ Jou, no!" Yugi's light swung over to his face, making Jou squint from the sudden brightness. "We're doing so well! We can get to the end."

"But the warnings are - uh - getting more ominous?" Jou said nervously, pushing Yugi's arm down so the beam left his eyes. "You know I can't handle this occult stuff, man. I'm ready to get out of here and hide under my blankets for the night."

"I'm not scared." Yugi teased.

"Yeah, look; there's a point where bravery becomes insanity."

"It's not about being brave or anything, it's just...it's a challenge." Yugi turned back toward the dark in front of them, a determined fire in his eyes. "I don't back down from challenges."

"Which brings us right back to the whole bravery-becoming-insanity thing I mentioned earlier." Jou shuddered. "Do you want me to beg? Fine. I'll beg. Can we please go back now? Please? _Pleeease,_ please? I'll literally pay you cash if we can head back up. This place is giving me a major case of the heebie-jeebies."

Yugi just graced the ceiling with an eye roll.  
"If you want to go, then go. No one is forcing you to stay."

"No way. What kind of bro would I be if I just left you alone and defenseless?"

_"Hey!"_

"I'll stay, but I won't stop whining. And if we see a mummy, you're on your own, Mutou!"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, Jonouchi."

Together, they moved forward, eventually stepping through a large opening and finding themselves in a wide room. Yugi guessed they were a couple stories underground now, judging by how cool the temperature was. He glanced around the large, dark room and, after not noticing anything outwardly dangerous, grinned at Jou while gesturing for his friend to go first. Jou shook his head quickly and made a gesture that Yugi interpreted as a _"no, I insist - after you,"_ and he felt his grin widen into a wicked smirk. He cast his light at the ground as he made his way into the room, watching where his feet were going. It would be counterproductive, after all, if the floor fell away from under him as it had in the third room—

"Watch out!" Jou yelled, grabbing him roughly by the back of his shirt. Yugi stumbled back from the force, lifting his head to see that he'd been about to walk straight into a wall of metal spikes.

"Well. That's dangerous." Yugi commented, swallowing thickly.

"Do you have no sense of self-preservation?" Jou wondered, aggravated. "Standing up to bullies, running into a burning building to save a cat, almost willingly impaling yourself on sharp objects... Now I remember why I came along with you."

"Uh, yes. Thank you for that."

"It's like my job." Jou said, releasing Yugi's shirt and swatting him upside the head. "Watch where you're going." He inched closer to the spikes, grimacing as one sliced his finger when he tried to touch it. "Wow. Still super sharp. Wait, I thought they didn't have metal in ancient Egypt?"

"Of course they did." Yugi corrected. "Jewelry, armor, weapons... Gold, for the wealthy and royal. It was hard for Egypt to get supplies sometimes though, thanks to the four natural barriers around them."

"Uh—"

"Like the desert and sea." Yugi explained. "The North was the Mediterranean Sea, and cataracts in the South, The Libyan Desert was to the West, and The Red Sea was East. And these are...surprisingly in good shape." Yugi got as close as he dared. "See? The way they're mounted? There's no rust on them at all. These weren't built and placed here thousands of years ago. I'd say they're relatively new."

"How new is new?"

"Maybe a couple decades? It seems this room is filled with old and new traps, like someone came back just to make the tomb even more secure."

"Alright, so..." Jou eyed the spikes meaningfully, "they really wanted to protect whatever possible dead body is down here and stop people from getting in."

"Seems that way."

"Then maybe we should respect that wish and leave."

"No way."

"Don't give me more crap about this being a challenge."

"Jou, think about it; all these traps are here for a reason. Who would spend their time coming down here just to add new security measures to a presumably empty tomb? The name for the person who's supposed to be buried here has been scratched off of countless tablets and writings. If they were erased from history, if they were never properly buried, why would they try so hard to stop intruders? There's something important down here, and I want to know what it is."

"But you're not interested in fame or treasure."

"No, I'm not." He agreed. "But this is a mystery that's driving me wild. I may not get a chance like this ever again. I got to know."

"Me thinks you like challenges a little too much."

"Consider it my bad habit."

"Oh, I do." Jou sighed." Okay, let's go. The sooner we get to the end of this, the sooner you'll be satisfied, right?"

Yugi just nodded and started making his way deeper into the room, this time making sure to watch his feet and what was ahead of him. He and Jou made it to the center of the room with no further incidents, and Yugi could see a giant, gold-encrusted door at the other side of the room. But his excitement as seeing the finish line didn't stop the murky foreboding in his stomach. Something wasn't right. Frowning, Yugi looked around the room again, searching. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, and it didn't sit well with him. Where were all the traps? A giant room with just one measly wall of spikes? Yugi was a renown linguist; of course he wasn't perfect, but he had translated the Hieroglyphs four times before he'd been satisfied, and they had definitely spoke of more danger than this. Every single one of the five rooms had had some kind of lethal trap, and yet walking so far into this one with none was...highly suspicious.

"Ugh, those statues are creeping me out." Jou said suddenly, voice echoing. "The way they're just standing there...I swear it feels like they're watching us." Yugi gave a big sigh at his friend's fear before registering what he said and snapping his head around to look over to where Jou was pointing.

All along the wall stood a line of statues that had a body like a man, but the head of a Falcon - which Yugi recognized as the Egyptians' image of Ra. Each statue stood tall and proud with their right foot forward; a symbol of their devotion to the King of Egypt, a living God among men. But what Yugi really noticed were the long, thin spears in their hands. He felt a chill race down his spine.

"Jou, we need to stay calm." He said in the tone of a person who knew the other was not going to stay calm. "Those statues weren't there earlier."

"We're going to die." Jou said, face alarmingly white. "We're so dead."

"Jou, stop moving." Yugi examined the statues again, noting how they seemed stationary before looking down at his own feet, how his right foot was forward. He then looked back at the glinting door, remembered all the high security measures. Like a flash of lighting, it came to him.

"Oh, my God." He muttered, bringing a hand to his head and pushing his hair back in amazement. "Oh. Okay."

"For the love of—share with the class!"

"A king." Yugi muttered to himself, ignoring Jou's protests. "Yeah. That's it. The huge tomb, the scratched off name, the old and new traps, the statues...this is the burial site of a Pharaoh." His nerves were jittery with the discovery, his legs buzzing with restlessness.

"I swear to all that is good and holy, if you keep being cryptic—" Jou began, moving.

"Jou, no—wait!" Yugi threw out his hands to stop his friend, but it was too late. The moment Jou's left foot struck out in front of his right, the statues started sliding toward them.

"Shit! Run, Jou!" Yugi yelled, immediately launching himself toward the giant door. Jou's scream was the highest pitch Yugi had ever heard come from the other's mouth, but there was no time to laugh at how it cracked and broke like a teenager's. If you were to ask him later, Yugi would've said that _"ohGodohGodohGod"_ was pretty much all that was running through his head at the time. For once, he was beyond scared. His emotions had leapt right past scared to terror with no stops in between. It rose up from his gut and twisted around his throat, suffocating him.

A statue had caught up to him and he had enough foresight to duck his head as it swung it's spear. He felt the air blow above him, moving the strands of his hair, and his scream was lost somewhere in his throat. They meant serious business, and he had no interest in seeing his blood outside his body, thank you very much. He didn't come all this way to die.

 _"Yugi!"_ Jou yelled, grabbing his friend roughly and throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He put his longer legs to good use and Yugi took a moment to feel impressed with how fast Jou could run when he was absolutely, truly terrified.

"Let go of me!" Yugi shouted, hating to be manhandled even when they were being chased by huge stone statues. There was a loud, strange rumbling, and Yugi looked down in time to see sections of the floor falling away, leaving winding paths like a maze. When he heard the voice, he thought it was just his own mind yelling at him - that fight-or-flight instinct that was implanted into the human species' genetic code to help them survive.

_'the door...'_

"Jou! Stop running around like a chicken and get to the door!"

Jou leapt out of the way of another attacking statue and, with a mighty heave, hurled Yugi in that direction like some kind of baseball. Yugi cried out as he tried to aim his feet at the ground, but he was no cat. He struck his side against the floor roughly, his momentum making him topple over. His chin hit the surface so hard, it was a miracle that he didn't bite his tongue off. It was another miracle that Jou hadn't thrown him right into the dark abyss that was no more than a couple feet away from him. But his adrenaline was blocking out the pain and panic, urging him to get to his feet, to spit out the blood in his mouth, to keep running toward what seemed like their only salvation. He pushed against the door for all that he was worth, and it slowly creaked open. Once wide enough to get through, Jou sped forward, leaping over a gap in the pathways so they both could squeeze through the opening. Together, they shoved at the door until it shut firmly with a snap and Jou leaned against it like a blockade.

Everything was still and silent for a long moment. Yugi could feel his heartbeat pounding, making his body shake with the force of it, could taste the tang of blood in his mouth. Jou's knees seemed to finally give out, and he fell to the ground, back still propped by the door.

"F...fuck..." He managed, staring down at his shaking hands. Yugi backed away from the door, forcing his lungs to let out the air he hadn't realized he was holding. Then make them fill again. In and out, until his body seemed to remember how to do it by itself. "They were seriously trying to kill us. Why were they trying to kill us? Why were the statues moving?!" He let out a long, shuddering breath. "Do you think they're still out there waiting? How are we going to get out of here?" He waited a moment with no answer. "Yugi?"

Yugi didn't reply. He didn't hear the question, honestly. He was staring transfixed at a small, golden box sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room they were now in, a narrow strip of tone leading to it. And when Yugi glanced over the side, he couldn't see anything but a dark hole under the bridge. Light was streaming in from a wide crack in the vaulted ceiling above them, making the box shimmer. But Yugi didn't know how that was even possible; they were many feet below the surface. It couldn't possibly be the sun. But that thought flew from his mind quickly as he watched the box, noted how it seemed to...pulsate eerily. Like it was alive. Yugi could only stare, he couldn't move away. There was something like warm television static coming from his center, buzzing at his finger tips. He felt different somehow, looking at the box. Like springtime had just bloomed inside him, alive and active. Like he'd been asleep for a long time and now he was awake. There weren't words to properly describe it, but in the first time since his adolescent years, he felt something new. Powerful. 

It was a song he'd forgotten the words to but recognized all the same, and it was no less haunting.

_'Help me.'_


	2. Smoke and Mirrors

That was no internal monologue. With his heart rate drifting back into a normal pace, his mind no longer locked onto outrunning death, he could tell that the echoed voice was not his own. He glanced over his shoulder to Jou, half expecting to see someone else in the room with them, but they were the only two there. But, though faint, the voice sounded as real as any human. His eyes followed the stone path back to the gold sitting innocently at the end, wondering. Yugi had a talent for maintaining a collected façade in the face of adversity, and he knew it. Used it as a defense that had saved him plenty of times from embarrassment or loneliness. But, as he stared unblinkingly at the golden item? He felt a shock of vulnerability. Like there was someone looking back at him, seeing right through him and hearing his innermost thoughts. He felt open and cold, so much so that he physically recoiled from it, stumbling back a step.

“What is it?” Jou asked as he got to his feet, noticing Yugi’s discomfort.

“I just…” Yugi began softly, only to press his lips together in a thin line. How could he possibly ask if Jou was _hearing voices?_ That was a sure-fire way to get his friend worried about his mental stability. But…it was _Jou._ His best friend. He couldn’t not confide in him. Couldn't lie. Not when Jou had always been honest and upfront with him in return. Yugi let out his breath in a long stream. “Did you happen to hear something?”

“Like what?”

“A…voice?” Yugi winced at himself, and looked to Jou again. Upon seeing the deep, concerned frown on his face, Yugi quickly added, “I swear, I’m not losing it or anything - I just thought I heard someone talking.”

To his credit, Jou didn’t laugh or write him off. “Honestly, maybe it’s just the adrenaline? We were just attacked and almost killed by giant, living statues. My hands are still shaking.” He rubbed his neck, fingers curling into his hair. “Let’s figure out a way to get out of here without dying. Do you think there’s a way out over that bridge?”

“Maybe?” Yugi allowed, gazing over the path. “But I heavily doubt it. I think the only way forward is to go back—” Suddenly, Yugi felt a bottomless sadness drop into his chest, blue washing over his vision. He took in a deep, shuddering breath that made his chest hurt with the pressure. It felt like inside him was a cold void, nothing to count on but echoes of shadows. It was heavy, it was wet and suffocating and it—

_‘Don’t leave!’_

The warmth of Jou’s hand against Yugi’s shoulder grounded him just enough to gather himself, to realize what feelings weren't his. He quickly scrubbed under his eye and the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving Yugi to wonder because _what the hell was that?_

“Man, look – I’m sorry. I know you wanted to solve this mystery and all, but I think it’s getting to you.”

“No, I…sorry, Jou. There was this sudden—” how could he explain it? “—I’m not sure what happened, but there was a voice again. It said not to leave and I felt…cold. Sad?” Yugi squinted, trying to place the feeling. It was more than sadness. A hopelessness like he’d lost something, and it was never coming back. “It felt like despair.”

“Uh.”

Yugi ignored Jou, knowing he sounded crazy. His eyes were drawn back to the pedestal once more, and he took a tentative step toward it. “I think…there’s something about that box.” It was like a magnetic force, drawing him in.

“Are you going to mess with it?” Jou asked as Yugi moved. “Please don’t. I’ve had enough traps for one day, thank you very much.” Yugi ignored his comment, carefully stepping across the bridge (half expecting it to collapse from under him) until he was finally standing in front of the surface. Carefully, he reached out toward the box and picked it up, shocked by how heavy it was.

“Are you crazy!? Are you sure we should be touching that?”

Yugi turned around, gripping the box protectively.  
“This is coming with us.”

_“What are you saying!?”_ Jou demanded, puffing up like some kind of angered cat. “We can’t just take an Egyptian artifact out of some ancient tomb!”

“I know, I know! I just…” Yugi bit his lip. It was crazy – he knew it was crazy! “I feel like it wants to go with us. There’s something about this thing…there’s someone here and I can’t explain it, but if I leave and have to feel that heaviness again – I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it. I'd go home and wonder about it everyday. I swear, it’s talking to me.” Jou made a noise that sounded like a mix of protest and outrage, which Yugi ignored. He stepped back over the bridge, holding the box securely.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Nope.”

“But I can’t stop you?”

“Not at all.”

Jou sighed, jamming his hands into his pockets.  
“Yugi, for a minute, really think about this. You’ll be breaking the law if you take that thing with us.”

Yugi stumbled in his step, shoulders tensing. He knew Jou was right, of course. Taking an artifact he’d found in a tomb back to Japan with him was stealing. He’d never done something like that in his life - something so extreme and irreversible. He was under a contract to explore the tomb and relay his findings, if he got caught…he shuddered at the thought. He’d lose not only his job, but every ounce of respect and credibility he’d gained throughout the years. Not to mention, he would serve a lengthy prison sentence. Was it really wise to risk it all, his whole life, on the possibility that an Egyptian artifact was somehow talking to him? What was it about the box that made him want to keep it safe? Yugi bit his lip hard, but he barely felt it over the pain of his still-throbbing chin. Maybe he should just put the box back and try to forget it... He expected to find treasure or a dead body at the end of the tomb, the usual things that were buried with a Pharaoh. Not this. Not a golden box that seemed to be able to project not only a voice, but _feelings_ into Yugi’s head.

Maybe he _was_ losing it.

_‘Please. Don’t leave me.’_

Lonliness, like the color grey. Yugi was all too familiar with that feeling, so he knew it right away.  
“I know what I’m risking.” He said, decision made even thought his insides squirmed unpleasantly.

“And everyone called me the delinquent…” Jou muttered, shaking his head in awe. “Well, I hope your box friend knows how to get out of here without those things killing us.”

_‘No harm will come to you while I am with you.’_

“They’ll leave us alone as long as I have this.” Yugi interpreted for Jou.

“Sure. Right. Did it tell you that?”

The voice made a noise of protest, and Yugi grimaced. “Uh, I think it’s a he.”

Doubt clouded over Jou’s eyes once again.  
“Okayyy,” He said, nodding once.

Taking a deep breath, Yugi pushed against the door until it gave way, opening it to the previous room. They were greeted not by the clang of an attack, like Jou feared, but by silence. Yugi glanced around and saw that the statues were standing where they’d left them, only now they didn’t look hostile at all. Each one was bent, kneeling towards the giant doors, heads lowered. Yugi stepped into the room cautiously, and they didn’t move. Jou’s fingers grasped Yugi’s shoulder tightly as he walked directly behind his friend, bunching the thin fabric of his T-shirt. The closer they got to the other side of the room, shuffling over gaps of the floor and side-stepping statues, Yugi felt more and more sure. Calm in the knowledge that _yes,_ they were safe. The voice hadn’t lied. Jou however, was breathing high and fast, eyes ticking this way and that, waiting for a statue to deal the final blow.

_‘He is not very trustful.’_

Yugi frowned. _You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew him,_ He thought sharply. _Of course he’s going to think I’ve gone crazy when I’m hearing voices and stealing from a tomb._

There was no reply.

* * *

The sudden onslaught of light as they stepped out of the tunnel and back into the world hurt Yugi’s eyes. He shaded his face with a hand, squinting out across the miles of sand. While they had spent was seemed like years running from danger, nothing above had changed.

“See, Jou?” He said. “You were worried for nothing.” He neglected the part where he’d been worried about making it out safely, too.

“I will never complain about the sun ever again!” Jou cried, falling to his knees to rub the dry sand against his cheek in relief. Yugi was about to do the same, but when he saw a cloud of dust on the horizon, he froze with a quiet, “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Jou asked, lifting his head up enough to follow Yugi’s gaze. “What is it?”

“Pegasus.”

With a sudden agility, moving on instinct more than thought, Yugi jogged over to where they had tied their horses, opening one of the saddle’s bags. He shoved the box as far down as he could, hiding it under other various items. He could feel the voice’s confusion like one giant question mark blaring inside his head, but he didn’t respond. He shut the bag and came back to Jou’s side, trying to look as innocent as he could possibly manage. Were his eyes too wide? Was he frowning too much? How did he normally stand – he couldn’t seem to remember and Pegasus was nearly upon them and what if his expression gave them away?

“Mr. Mutou!” Pegasus said, opening his arms wide, once he and two others from his team had made it to them. He dismounted from his bulky horse, casually throwing a strand of his fine, white hair over his shoulder.

“Hello, Mr. Pegasus.” Yugi greeted back, reaching out so they could shake hands briefly.

“It is such a relief to see that you made it out safe and sound! Well, almost.” He grinned, nodding to the state of them – Yugi’s abused chin, the dried blood on Jou’s cheek, the rumpled, torn state at parts of their clothing. Yugi had no doubt that Pegasus was truly glad to see them alive, but he knew there was envy hidden in his delight. The older man would’ve loved to go down to the bottom of the tomb, but he was also, to put it mildly, a coward. After turning back at the second room, Pegasus had employed Yugi to risk life and limb to explore the area – and if Pegasus was desperate enough to come to him for aid, there had to be something truly wondrous awaiting at the bottom, Yugi had figured. He originally took the job to find out what Pegasus was looking for.

“I can’t say I’m surprised, though your choice of company did have me worried,” Pegasus continued. Jou gave an indignant huff. “How far down did you get?”

“To the end.”

Pegasus’s eyes went a bit wide and he coughed lightly into his hand.  
“My dear boy… Did you say the end?”

“What are you old _and_ deaf?” Jou asked, clearly bitter.

“Yes, I did,” Yugi said before Pegasus could respond, giving Jou a swift look. “We made it all the way to the end.” He pulled a small notebook from a bag connected to his belt and handed it over. “I took notes because I knew you’d love to have all the gritty details. It seems each room dealt with a specific riddle or puzzle you have to solve to move on. Of course, there were traps in abundance, as I’m sure you remember.”

“Yes, well—” Pegasus waved Yugi’s explanation away with his hand. “We have all the time in the world to discuss those matters, I’m sure. But tell me; what exactly is at the bottom of the tomb? I’m dying to hear.”

Yugi instantly thought of the box and reigned in his expression. “Nothing.” He said. He didn’t know what tell he had when he lied, since he rarely sought comfort in dishonesty, but he hoped it wasn’t something obvious. “The room where a body and treasure normally would be was empty.”

“Empty?” Pegasus repeated, looking shocked.

“Yes.”

Pegasus hummed a little and flipped through the notebook. “Are you sure?” He asked, not sounding convinced. “Such an elaborate tomb…so many traps… Surely there was something there?”

“Perhaps at one time there was. I'm as shocked as you are. With the way it was designed and protected, it must be the tomb of a king, but it was just…empty. Whether that means the tomb has already been robbed or not, I don’t know. There was a large, gold door that lead into the final room, and in there was a short bridge to a pedestal…but nothing was there.” He shrugged. “Nevertheless, I’ve completed my job. I reached the bottom of the tomb and discovered it’s secret, as per your orders.”

“Interesting.” Pegasus mused, still dubious. “This must be a…devastating find, I’m sure.” He gave a smile that didn’t reach his eye. “You were so excited to go on this adventure, and now…”

“Yes, I am quite disappointed.” Yugi looked away from his piercing gaze.

“Are you?”

“Of course.” He replied earnestly, trying to look crestfallen.

“Yeah, you should've seen him.” Jou added, and Yugi grimaced. Lord knows he loved his best friend and would do anything for him, but Jou needed to learn when to stay quiet. Like now. “He looked like he was going to— _ow!”_

Yugi lifted his foot off of Jou’s and blinked sweetly. “Oh, jeez! Was that your foot? I’m sorry – the heat must be starting to get to me.” He gave Jou a loaded glare. “But I’m sure Mr. Pegasus doesn’t—”

“So,” Pegasus interrupted, showing no sign that he’d even noticed Jou speaking or the exchange that came after it, “you admit that you could not solve this mystery?” Through the disappointment lingering there, Yugi could hear the excitement in his voice. It was just like him to be happy about Yugi losing – probably made him feel more accepting of his own failure. Pegasus had yet to beat him before, and Yugi knew he was just waiting for his chance to prove he was better. Yugi made a noncommittal noise as he made his way across the sand to his tawny horse, preparing to climb up.

“Well?” Pegasus prompted, lifting one perfectly plucked eyebrow. And Yugi? Well, he told the biggest lie he’d ever said in his life.

“My dear Pegasus…there wasn’t even a mystery to solve.”


	3. Like A Ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm still here, I promise. I know I say this a lot, but life literally keeps stopping me. I'm so tired and over 2018... I feel like I haven't had a single break this whole year with all the misfortune ( ´Д`)
> 
> But you didn't come hear to listen to me complain, you came here for the story. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> * * *

“Did you see his _face?”_

“Yes, Jou. I saw it.”

“He’s so pompous. He thought he could one-up you but you’re too bad ass.”

“Yes,” Yugi smiled ruefully. “I was there.”

_“Puh_ -lease.” Jou continued, unaffected by Yugi’s complete lack of enthusiasm. He was still talking about their run in with Pegasus nearly a whole day after the fact, and since they were currently on a plane flying back to Japan, Yugi couldn’t escape it. Not unless he wanted to spend the whole trip locked in the bathroom… (hint: he didn’t.) So instead he sat there, placing a finger to his lips in an attempt to get his friend to quiet down. “He wanted you to admit that you had failed just like him, but he should’ve known better. Hit him where it hurts!” Jou exclaimed gleefully, giving Yugi a punch in the shoulder with a little too much force behind it. Yugi gave up on trying to calm his friend and resigned himself to staring at the wing of the plane outside the window, taking in a deep breath through his nose. “What a sneaky bastard. He probably wanted to swoop in and take all the glory.”

“I don’t care about the glory.”

“I know, I know. Still—we’re the ones who went through all the danger to get through the traps and shit. Not to mention the trouble of getting that box out of—"

“Hey, loudmouth!” Yugi hissed, shoving his hand over Jou’s mouth and pinning the taller man with a glare. “Maybe you shouldn’t be yelling about how we _stole an artifact from Egypt?”_

Jou nodded sagely and Yugi risked releasing his face.  
“…sorry.” He said in much quieter tones. “You’re right. Pegasus just gets me riled up.”

“I see that.” Yugi leaned back, casting a nervous glance around the plane. “Sorry for snapping at you, I just…I’m really jumpy.”

“Is it still talking to you?” Jou whispered.

_‘I am a he.’_ Yugi winced at the voice’s obvious displeasure. _‘Being called an it is rather rude.’_

“He,” Yugi reminded his friend gently. “Please, Jou. He.”

“Right, right - He.” Jou nodded again. Yugi glanced up at the overhead compartment, knowing that there sat his carry-on, the golden box stuffed into it among his portable game player and toiletries. He could feel a headache curling around the back of his head, waiting to pounce, but he wouldn’t risk getting his bag for some pain medicine. Not with so many eyes around to see the glimmer of gold if he dared to open it.

God, he hated flying.

“Well?” Jou said after a long moment, and Yugi looked over to see him still staring.

“Well what?”

“Is he still talking to you?”

“Duh.” Yugi sighed. “I’m kind of stuck with it now too, since I can’t very well go back and admit that—” his beginning of a rant was cut short with a soft _bing_ through the plane speakers.

“We are now beginning our descent into Domino City Airport.” A soothing female voice said, all business. “Captain Garrick has turned on the seat-belt lights. Please return to your seats and keep your belts buckled until the plane has made a full, complete stop. Please put away all loose items and shut off any electronics. Return your tables and chairs into their full, upright position. We’d like to thank you for…”

Yugi tuned the voice out as he buckled his seat-belt over his lap. He couldn’t wait to get off the stupid plane and go home; flying always made him nauseous and jittery. He also wanted a chance to study the box in privacy, but falling into his bed and sleeping for a good four months straight sounded nice, too. Jou had talked non-stop on the way home, not giving him any chance to doze off. It's not that he hated Jou’s chatter or anything, but sometimes his friend just had a tendency to never stop.

“I still can’t believe they didn’t suspect anything when we went through security.” Jou muttered, shoving his table up. “I was sweating like a pig. You have to be the luckiest person alive, Yugi.”

“Honestly, I don’t know how that happened either. A big bulk of gold like that…it’s definitely suspicious. I’m guessing they saw the box on the scanner and just thought it was a souvenir? Or maybe the guard wasn’t paying close attention to it? Maybe they assumed it was safe because of who I am – I was still wearing my badge at the time…” Yugi shook his head, a bit baffled. “I genuinely don’t know why I wasn’t stopped and pulled aside for them to hand-search my bag.”

“Stop looking for logic. I bet you it was just plain, dumb luck.”

“I don’t believe in luck, there’s no such thing. Nothing happens without a cause.”

“But I do believe in it, and I’m telling you it exists. It has to, after that.”

“Fair enough.” Yugi relented, not interested enough to start a debate about it. He leaned his head against the window and watched the ground slowly grow closer.

* * *

“I’m home!" Yugi called out as he swung open his front door. The usual silence greeted him back, making his place seem as empty as ever. “Not that anyone else is here…” He mumbled, but years of habit were hard to break. He pulled his suitcase through the door and left it in the entryway, haphazardly tossing his backpack onto the old couch in the living room. He hung his keys on the hook in the wall as he slipped his shoes off.

_‘Do you live alone?’_

“Yup.” He answered shortly, popping the P just for the sake of it. Once his shoes were off, he walked to the couch and fished the box out of his bag.

_‘Why?’_

“Uh, who am I supposed to live with?” Yugi wondered, looking around for a moment before decidedly placing the box on the coffee table. He worried that maybe he was already too comfortable with the idea of speaking to a disembodied voice. It certainly wasn’t normal, but it didn’t feel wrong… He stood there uncertainly before eventually lowering himself to sit on the edge of the couch, staring at the box. He wasn’t sure where to look, or if it mattered, so he focused on the Eye of Horus in the middle of its surface.

_‘Your family? A lover?’_

“Well I don’t have either one of those, so no.” He plucked at the hem of his shirt. “My father left when I was little. My mother died in a car accident after I graduated high school. My grandpa lived with me up until three years ago – heart attack.” He sighed. “I don’t know about any other family; no one has ever made themselves known, so I don’t worry about it. I have friends, of course, but no one that I’m dating, so…” He shrugged.

_‘But you are lonely.’_

“What?” Yugi found himself blinking rapidly at the voice’s statement, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind his ear. “No, I’m not. No, it’s fine. I’m 27 – it’s completely normal for me to be living by myself. I like my space.” There was a disbelieving noise in his head, and he frowned. “Seriously. I’m fine.”

_‘Doubtful.’_ Was the short reply, then, swiftly after, _‘Forgive me.’_

Yugi was confused at the quick track change. “Uh, sure. For what?”

_‘Regardless of how correct I believe myself to be, it is not my place to say – or pry into your personal affairs.’_

“I mean – yeah – but…” Yugi leaned back in the couch, staring at his ceiling thoughtfully. “It’s okay, I don’t mind you questioning me. Jou has done that all my life so I’m used to it. I don’t mind talking about my family either, if you’re worried about that. I miss mom and grandpa a lot, but…nothing can be done about it. I can’t just sit in my sorrow forever.”

_‘…no, you are right. That would not accomplish much.’_

“You know, I don’t even remember what my dad looks like. I mean, I’ve seen pictures - but that’s not really remembering. I was only three when he left, so I don’t feel his absence. But my mom and grandpa…” Yugi let out a long and low breath. “They’re a different story. I miss them so much, it hurts sometimes.” Like now, as the all-too familiar lump formed in his throat. The bottomless pit of desolate emotions crawling back up. “Enough of my sad backstory—” He quickly said, waving his hand to dispel the feeling, “What about you?”

_‘I—that is…difficult to say…’_

“Aw, c’mon.” Yugi sat back up with a pout. “You heard me whine about—”

_‘It’s not that I do not want to say, I just cannot. Believe me, would if I could tell you – after all, I owe you a great deal more than you may ever know – but I cannot.’_

“How come?”

_‘I cannot remember anything of my life before this. Just…darkness. I have been trapped so long in it that it slowly ate away at me, piece by piece, memory by memory. I cannot say how I became…like this. There was nothing for so long until suddenly there was a glimmer, a blazing light. You.’_

“You don’t know how you became a box?”

There was an incredulous noise.   
_‘You think I am the box?’_

“Um…” Yugi shifted his feet awkwardly. “You’re not?”

Despite the indignant tone, Yugi somehow felt an undercurrent of amusement from the voice, too; _‘My soul is bound to it. I am trapped inside.”_

“Ah…Okay, yeah. That makes more sense than you actually being the box.” So much for his stunning intellect. Yugi tried to think of something to say, but came up blank. What do you tell a guy – or rather, his spirit? – who’s trapped? Honestly, he was still doubting his sanity at this point. He never really believed in things that couldn’t be explained with science, but spirits were…unique. He didn’t know if he believed in things like ghosts or not, but this turn of events definitely made a convincing argument. “Maybe I can help?”

_‘I would have escaped by now if I could, don’t you think?’_

Yugi ignored the slight sass.  
“Well, let’s start with what you do know.”

_‘I am fairly certain that I was once a Pharaoh.’_

“Makes sense. That tomb was made for a king. Maybe you pissed someone off?” Yugi hummed thoughtfully. “How do you know Japanese if you were a Pharaoh?”

_‘Because of you. I suppose if you had spoken a different language, I would have spoke it, too. I cannot explain what I myself don’t understand. We do not ask why the birds fly or why the Nile has fish - they just do.'_

“Wow, insightful. Sure you weren't a poet?' Yugi joked, and he felt a small wave of fresh amusement from the other. "When you say your trapped in there, what is ‘there’?”

_‘Here is here.’_ Yugi could tell there was more to the statement, so he waited patiently. _‘I cannot properly explain it. It’s like I am dead, or perhaps I am dead – or was supposed to be – but yet I still exist. Everything around me was a dark void until you crossed my path. When I heard your voice, I could see around me again, but I still can’t feel or taste or smell anything. For the longest time before light came back, there was nothing. Not even sound.'_

“Does floating underwater at night sound about right?”

_‘I believe that is the closest you would get to the sensation, yes. I had nothing but my own thoughts, but they too would drift away as soon as they came to me. Moments after having a thought, I could not remember what the thought even was. I could not reach out and connect with anything, until you. It was small at first, so tiny that had I not been so used to darkness, I might have overlooked it. But I did notice the difference and I held onto it. I called out and it was still so very faint, but it was something. After so long of nothing, my feelings felt like they would overwhelm me. I was so very relieved when you called back to me, that I could see and that I was heard, I wanted to weep in gratitude. I am still hovering around in an abyss, but it’s not dark anymore. I am here, yet I am not. I can see you sitting there, but I don’t know where my body is.’_

Yugi’s brain wasn’t fully equipped to understand things like _endless_ or _void_ or _forever,_ but he imagined being stuck in a dark tomb for days and days on end with no human contact, and he thought that maybe that was as close to understanding as he could get. “This is probably a dumb question, but I want to make sure… Do you know your name?”

The long silence was the answer.

“Well, I can’t just sit here and call you _‘you’_ all the time.” He decided. “How about…Yami?”

_‘You strike me as a kind man, so I am going to assume that you mean it in a good way.’_

“Of course I do!” Yugi slid forward to crouch on the ground in front of the box. “Not darkness like what you’ve been trapped in; dark like the sky at night when you go to look at the stars. Dark like the ocean after a storm, the promise of hope. Or like the soil before you plant a seed. Or chocolate.” He smiled and closed his eyes, leaning his chin on his folded arms. “I don’t think darkness is 100-percent bad, just like light doesn’t always mean good. I say name yourself after it and reclaim it on your own terms. A whiteboard is only white until you start writing on it, right? The more writing you have, the better it is. Same with you. Fill up your blank slate with new memories.”

_‘I never would have thought of it like that.’_ The voice sounded hushed in its awe.

Yugi smiled again, feeling good about the name choice. To say the day had been long would have been a terrible understatement; just sitting there, he could feel his body starting to relax into a zoned-out state. He forced open his eyes with difficulty, watching the golden box.

_‘You are falling asleep.’_

He hummed in agreement, but—“I want to keep talking.” Despite his exhaustion, he wanted to stay awake. Yugi didn’t know how or why the spirit was trapped, but he felt compelled to help somehow.

_‘I will still be here when you wake.’_

“No, I can stay up.” Even saying it, Yugi’s eyes closed again. “Just give me a moment. Hold on.”

_‘I may not exactly be human anymore, but I know that you need sleep. We can talk more later on.’_ Yugi grunted, annoyed with his body’s needs. _‘Also…Yugi?’_ His name was asked tentatively like the voice wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak it, softly like the two syllables meant more than they did. The man in question hummed a half-response. _‘I like the name, thank you. For everything.’_

After that, Yugi descended into that soft, warm place of sleep, letting it claim him fully.


	4. Falling Inside the Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said I revised things from the original story? Yeah, here's where it really starts to change. I hope after reading this you all can understand why it's taking me so long to update - not only because of life stuff (because I am just a simple, human bean with crippling anxiety) but because I'm literally kind of rewriting the whole story.
> 
> I love you guys and I appreciate all the patience and support you've given me!
> 
>  
> 
> _**TW:** A literal war. Blood. Nightmares._
> 
> * * *

Yugi groaned as the birds outside sliced right into his restless, somewhat painful sleep. He would never understand how some people thought the sound of birds chirping in the morning was peaceful or calming – they were like screeching feathered demons from his own personal hell. He sighed, eyes watering when he opened them and squinted against the sunlight streaming in around his curtains. He sat up stiffly with a yawn, back protesting with the movements. He had heard the joke before that 25 was the point where your body started to die, but he hadn't wanted to believe it. He just laughed it off and said, “Nah, not me," but sleeping on the floor was definitely a thing of the past if it was going to make him hurt this much.

The thought that he was getting older made him feel, in fact, that much older.

A little dazed, Yugi rubbed his jaw, wincing as his fingers pressed into the swollen bruise marking his chin. Oh, right… That had been a thing. He felt up his cheek, feeling the indents the table had left in his skin. Lovely.

With a rather loud grunt, Yugi staggered up to his feet and stretched, listening as his joints popped. A glance at the clock told him it was two in the afternoon…He’d been sleeping for almost twelve straight hours. Rubbing his head, ignoring the tangles in his hair, he stumbled across the floor and into the bathroom, closing the door as he looked over to the mirror.

And screamed.

It rang through the stillness of the house as Yugi threw his hands up to his reflection – but – _no,_ it wasn’t – the face wasn’t his. He stared in disbelief at the face looking back at him, trying to find his own features in it. Yes, the eyes were wide and shockingly purple – same wild hair and small nose, even the lips were his – but—

Definitely not Japanese. This person, the image… they were dark skinned, worn by wind and heat. He touched the reflection’s cheek, hand visibly shaking. He knew it was him, but the face wasn’t right. It was like recognizing a stranger.

Somewhere beyond the bathroom door, there were noises. Outside his front door, loud cries and metal clanking together. An echo of a sinister laugh that made the hair on Yugi’s arms stand on end. His blood turned to ice and he quickly covered his ears to stop the sounds that were steadily growing and growing until they were pounding into his head with a force that left him breathless. He shut his eyes to block everything out, but when his world went dark, something new took its place.

Thousands of warriors surrounded him, battling in the pale moonlight, leaving blood against the sand under his feet. Innocent civilians were running from the combat, away from their homes that were lit ablaze in the madness, families clutching each other in fear to keep from being separated as they passed by. He couldn’t look and he couldn't look away. He stumbled back, gaze falling on a lone child squatting behind a broken wall, sobbing in fear. He was helpless to save this unknown child, helpless to stop it when a man stabbed another warrior right in front of him. Couldn’t move as the boy scrambled away from the corpse with a chilling scream.

Yugi swayed where he stood, feeling the burn of bile rising up in his throat as his stomach rolled over itself. Blood was everywhere, dying the land red and filling his eyes, filling his nose. He could taste it and he was afraid it would pour out of his mouth if he opened it. He never exactly knew why blood seemed to paralyze him…the doctors had always shrugged and said it was “just a fear that some people had” and “it happens sometimes” and he couldn’t think of anything happening to him in his past to make him so fearful of it - but here he was, shaking from head to toe, looking down at his own hands that were somehow also dyed with red. He rubbed his hands against his pants, trying to remove the stains but it stuck all over him like glue. He rubbed harder, palms becoming raw and sore. He knew he was acting irrationally – knew that the blood wasn’t going to come alive and kill him or anything – but that didn’t stop his mind from screaming _no, no, no, get off, get off, get away—_

So he ran. He staggered and tripped and sobbed breathlessly, climbing over rubble and bodies as his feet slid on the sand. Unable to hold back any longer, he fell down to his knees and heaved over the ground, tears falling over his cheeks, groaning weakly as another wave of nausea overtook him.

There was a soft, frightened cry in the distance. A wail that Yugi somehow felt in his own throat. He’d made that sound before, after coming back to an empty home after his grandpa’s funeral. A hoarse, long scream of pain because he’s gone, he’s gone. He’s never coming back. _What am I going to do?_

Then another cry. Someone with a voice deep and full, crying out a name that sounded like his name – but the syllables were wrong, the language was different...it still made him look up in hope, like a butterfly landing on his nose, wings caressing his cheeks—

_“Yugi!”_

He crashed back into his living room with a jolt, eyes flying open as he sat up with a wild gasp. His head buzzed and floated from the quick movements, his erratic breathing not helping his light-headedness much. In a sudden rush of clarity, followed by a wave of relief, Yugi realized he was home. Safe. It had been a dream – a nightmare. He settled his hand against his throat, feeling his heart pound there.

_‘Yugi! Are you all right?’_

Yugi startled at the voice, eyes flicking down to the golden box. “I just…” He cringed at the memory of the screams still echoing in his ears. “It was a nightmare…I’m…”

_‘You were screaming in your sleep!'_

On wobbly legs, Yugi got to his feet, using the arm of the couch for support. He made his way into the kitchen, and grabbed a glass for some water, trying to stop his hands from trembling as he tipped the liquid into his mouth. Get a grip.

 _‘Yugi.’_ Yami’s voice was firm. Not demanding, but probing. Insistent. Yugi should have guessed that the spirit wasn’t going to let him brush it off like nothing when it was obviously something. He took a deep, shuttering breath, settling the glass down on the counter.

“I’m fine. Mostly. It’s just…there was a lot, and I couldn’t do anything.” He drained the rest of his water quickly and shook his head, remembering the end of the dream – the name that sounded like his, but it wasn’t right… “Heba?” He mumbled, unsure.

_‘What?’_

“There was someone calling for… Heba?” Yugi squinted, trying to figure out where he’d heard it before. It rang a strange, distant bell in his head. “Does that sound familiar to you because I swear it does to me. I just can’t figure out why?”

 _‘It is…familiar. I just…I cannot remember…’_ Yami grew silent in his contemplation. Then, _‘I do know that name – I know it. I don’t know why I do or who it is, but it makes me feel…’_ He seemed to struggle for the right word, but he didn’t need to say it. The heavy, empty feeling that settled in Yugi’s chest said it all. _‘Forgive me. I would offer more if I could, but I try to delve into my mind and there is just…nothing. Nothing except lingering feelings that I cannot understand.’_

“Then don’t worry about it.” Yugi decided, coming back to the living room to stare at the box. It felt easier when he had something to look at. “There’s no point stressing over something you can’t change.” And he needed to stop thinking about the nightmare before the images sent him running back to the toilet. “So! What’s inside here, anyway?” He lifted the box, examining it. “If I open it, will I see you?”

_‘Oh, yes. I am a tiny person living inside. Help, it’s so cramped in here.’_

“I was thinking in like a genie sense. Like I open the box and there you appear from mist?”

_‘Very creative.’_

Yugi hesitated for a minute before sliding the lid off. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but that didn’t stop a small sense of disappointment bubble up inside him when he looked. It was almost…anticlimactic how uneventful the unveiling was. Inside there was more gold in different shapes and sizes and he pulled out a flat piece, studying the eye embossed into it. It seemed to be a puzzle. He poured the contents of the box out onto the table, sifting the pieces gently with his hands. Good, he loved puzzles and Lord knew he needed a distraction.

_‘Goody. What’s next? Finger painting?’_

Yugi flinched a bit, Yami’s tone hurting more than his words. He wondered if maybe he’d somehow annoyed the spirit or offended him some way, but nothing came to mind. He let the question float up to his mouth and die there – empty questions only get empty answers. He ran his fingers among the pieces instead, picking one up every so often to examine the ridges. He wished he knew what the puzzle was supposed to look like, then he’d know where to start. He lowered himself to the floor to sit, testing a couple pieces out until – finally – one pair fit, locking in together with a faint click.

_‘Yugi, hurting you was not my inten—'_

“You didn’t hurt me.”

_‘You are not as good at hiding your emotions as you seem to think.’_

“Okaaay, fine. You wounded me a little.” Yugi relented, shrugging.

_‘I am sorry.’_

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

_‘That does not make it okay.’_

“No, it doesn’t.”

_‘I’m just aggravated.’_

Probably not, but just in case… “At me?”

_‘What? No! Gods, no. It’s just…not knowing anything about your past, hearing things you recognize but can’t remember…it’s hard. I am so envious of you; you have loved ones and friends to be with, memories you can smile at. I don’t have a single thread left of who I was. I’m frustrated that everything was taken from me like I was never human at all and I don’t know why. I want to know why I am this way. I want to be able to sit with you as a person and not feel this emptiness in my head or feel this constant darkness around me. For so long I’ve been here doing nothing – being nothing – and this is torture, Yugi.’_

Yami’s voice cracked at the last part and Yugi felt the abyss in his chest opening up, the despair gnawing inside his stomach, swallowing up his lungs. Yugi could not see Yami, but the feelings they shared, the emotions coming from the other side of their connection, was enough to know how Yami felt. How being trapped as he was broke Yami every single day and there was no reprieve in sight. And feeling how much it broke Yami nearly broke Yugi, who was unable to do anything to help.

_‘I cannot understand it.’_

Yugi could only sit there and feel the desolate emotions as they ran rampant. The ache was too far under his skin, set deep in his bones. It hurt to even stand there and just breathe.

_‘What did I do to deserve this fate?’_

There was nothing Yugi could do. Nothing he could say would make it any better. He could feel his legs weakening as he gasped hard, trying to breathe, but there was something white-hot curling around all of his muscles.

_‘I’m sorry I take it out on you. I’m sorry.’_

He felt sick. The world was tilting on it’s axis. Was he dying? Was this what death felt like? Your body tearing itself apart?

_‘I’m sorry.’_

Was Yami still speaking to him? It didn’t seem so. Something changed – the feelings were spinning around in turmoil, taking the room with them. Yugi could feel it rotting inside him, turning his insides to liquid. “Yami,” Yugi managed, sucking in air, but it was muffled and slurred. “I—" His eyes rolled back and he was falling, falling, “I’m—”

* * *

He was in the desert again. It was quiet this time – nothing but the sand under his feet and the dark sky above. He could see pinpricks of light in the distance, and he ran toward them. Every step was like sloshing through mud, thick and trying to swallow him whole; trying to bury him alive and feed him to the darkness of the shadows biting at his feet. But he couldn’t slow or quit, even when he began to tire. He mustn’t die – not here, not yet. He still needed to…he had to… He had to find…

What was it he was looking for?

He shook his head, frowning deeply. There was something…he was trying to find…someone…that’s right, he couldn’t rest. He had to keep going and— _There!_ He found a man, collapsed on the ground. Blood at his mouth, gold glittering in the sand around his limp body.

 _No, no, no…_ His mind shied away from the possibility. It couldn’t be true. It was a lie. This wasn't real—he felt a sharp pain in his knees and he realized he’d fallen down to them, all the strength leaving his body. _No, he’s not – he can’t be—_

He had to let him go.

_No…_

He was gone and the puzzle was shattered.

_No._

He had to keep moving. He had to get up—

_No, no. Nonono. Heaven and Gods above, please no – not this, never this please just—_

Fingers trembling, he reached for the man's face. He was a stranger, but familiar. He knew this man. He could feel it deep in his bones, down in his soul, that it had to be— The face crumbled to sand and he forgot. Why did he care? Why did it feel like a gaping hole in his chest when he couldn’t remember anything in the first place?

He was so tired.

He was alone in the sand.

He cried, hunched over so his head was pressed to the grit. He wanted to die now – he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. The wind picked up around him as he screamed and cried out to—cried out for—

Who was he again?

_‘Yugi!’_

The man in question jerked, heaving against a sob. His mind sped across the millenia, slamming back into his body with a force that left him dizzy.

 _‘Yugi!’_ Yami’s voice was shot with worry. _‘Oh, thank the Gods.’_

“What the fuck…” Yugi choked out, propping himself up on an elbow, hardly feeling his limbs. The absence of the pain left him shuddering and weak. He was lying on the floor in front of the table, everything was blurry but he thought he saw a flash of ruby – no, it was just gold. Sitting in jagged pieces all across the table. The puzzle.

_‘Are you okay?’_

“What just happened?” Yugi asked instead, attempting to sit upright. His body felt like a glob of Jell-O that had been left out of the fridge too long. There was a pounding in the back of his head.

_‘You…well I’m not sure, really. You fainted, I think.’_

“That was not just a normal fainting spell.” He said, rubbing his eyes. “It was like my body was being forced through a silly straw.”

 _‘I was afraid you were dying.’_ Came the hesitant confession. _‘I lost control of myself and then you were collapsing and then you were screaming and…I’m not sure what happened.’_

“You did something to me.”

_‘Yugi, I’m sorry – I never meant to—’_

Yugi held up his hand, struggling to his feet. “No, wait. I’m not blaming you. I’m not mad, really…I’m just saying somehow your emotions affected me, and I know you didn't do it on purpose, but I really don’t want whatever that was to happen again.”

_‘I understand. I am not quite sure what just happened, either. I will retain my composure, for your sake. I cannot imagine what it was like for you, but watching and not being able to do anything to help was a nightmare.’_

“As long as we’re on the same page.” And as much as Yugi wanted to figure out the puzzle of what had just happened, or why, he was scared to delve too deeply into it. Because theorizing about Yami’s condition – his powers, for lack of a better explanation – and how his state of being affected Yugi meant studying feelings, and Yugi already knew that those got messy. Yugi simply pinned it to the back of his mind; he would revisit the whys and hows of it later, after his hands stop trembling.

_‘Why do you hate birds?’_

The question was so random and straight-forward, Yugi laughed. “What?” Was that supposed to be a distraction?

_‘Earlier, before you started crying – you said something about hating birds.’_

“Well…they’re annoying.”

_‘Why do you even try to lie when you are so bad at it?’_

“Ugh, fine.” Yugi dragged his hands down his face. “When I was six, I was attacked by a vulture. Grandpa and I found a dead rabbit on the side of the road and I wanted to bury it. When I got close, a big bird suddenly swooped down out of nowhere.” He held up his left arm, looking at the old, faded scars of the three claw lines the vulture had left. “So I kind of just…stopped caring for birds after that. I mean, it was my own fault, but I was young and didn’t know any better. I’m not scared of them like I am with blood, but I don’t like them. Which is fine because they’re annoying, stupid, and poop all over your car.”

There was a light snort, like someone trying to hide laughter, and Yugi groaned.  
“I can’t believe you think that’s funny. You’re the worst.”

Yami laughed like a ringing bell, unable to stop himself.  
_‘Not that I can remember, but I think you may be the most stubborn man I have ever met.’_

For maybe the first time since finding the box, Yugi found that the spirit didn’t sound bitter about his missing memories. He seemed open and absolutely delighted at the idea of figuring Yugi out rather than himself. It uplifted Yugi even though he wasn’t sure how to respond to the newfound glee. In his uncertainty, Yugi defaulted back to sarcasm.

“So I have an admirable spirit?”

 _‘That you do.’_ There was another peal of laughter, and Yugi felt his cheeks warm. He could get used to having another voice in the house besides his own. Strange nightmares and whatever that earlier pain had been aside, maybe having Yami around wasn’t such a bad thing after all. He would focus on this for now and worry about the downsides later.


End file.
